KORAPUT: Tipsy jumbos are asking for more, sneaking into Koraput villages post sundown, sniffing their way to the heady liquor prepared in most households. The villagers are at their wits end as a herd of marauding elephants that strayed into the district, from Karlapat sanctuary in Kalahandi, are reluctant to leave the region after consuming liquor at Sukriguda village on Friday.

Wreaking havoc in several villages in Koraput district, the jumbos have already damaged a forest department nursery, several houses and vast tracts of agricultural land at Sukriguda, Narega, Maliguda, Mangra and Tolo Mangra villages, roaming free and plundering at will in the area for the past few days.

"Almost all households at Sukriguda prepare liquor. The elephants, while damaging a few houses in the village, consumed some homemade brew. Though they are now staying on at Dubriguda hills during the day, the smell of liquor attracts them towards the village at night and the elephants seem to be in no mood to leave the place as of now," said Koraput forest range officer Ranjan Mohanty. "We have asked the villagers to stop making liquor till the herd of elephants leave the place. The excise department has also been intimated to take necessary steps to ensure villagers do not prepare brew at home as the animals are getting attracted to it," he added.

Meanwhile, villagers are spending sleepless nights. "The elephants, roaming near the village for the past few days, have already damaged at least six houses in the village and several acres of agricultural fields," said a Sukriguda villager under Semiliguda block. "They stay put on the hilltops during the day and enter the villages only after sundown," he said.

KORAPUT: Tipsy jumbos are asking for more, sneaking into Koraput villages post sundown, sniffing their way to the heady liquor prepared in most households. The villagers are at their wits end as a herd of marauding elephants that strayed into the district, from Karlapat sanctuary in Kalahandi, are reluctant to leave the region after consuming liquor at Sukriguda village on Friday.

Wreaking havoc in several villages in Koraput district, the jumbos have already damaged a forest department nursery, several houses and vast tracts of agricultural land at Sukriguda, Narega, Maliguda, Mangra and Tolo Mangra villages, roaming free and plundering at will in the area for the past few days.

"Almost all households at Sukriguda prepare liquor. The elephants, while damaging a few houses in the village, consumed some homemade brew. Though they are now staying on at Dubriguda hills during the day, the smell of liquor attracts them towards the village at night and the elephants seem to be in no mood to leave the place as of now," said Koraput forest range officer Ranjan Mohanty. "We have asked the villagers to stop making liquor till the herd of elephants leave the place. The excise department has also been intimated to take necessary steps to ensure villagers do not prepare brew at home as the animals are getting attracted to it," he added.

Meanwhile, villagers are spending sleepless nights. "The elephants, roaming near the village for the past few days, have already damaged at least six houses in the village and several acres of agricultural fields," said a Sukriguda villager under Semiliguda block. "They stay put on the hilltops during the day and enter the villages only after sundown," he said.

Common occurence across MP, Orissa and other states with forested tracts. Locals make liquor with flowers of mahua tree in particular season and elephants love the sweet smelling liquid and will sniff out the huts where it is stored and raid the place.